TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - November 22, 2016) - Scotiabank has announced a $1 million gift to one of the top biomedical research institutes in North America to support discovery of the determinants of health for infants and children. The announcement was made on Monday, November 21, at Sinai Health Foundation's marquee event Dinner with Scientists.

The gift will support the work of Dr. Stephen Lye, a Senior Investigator at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, part of Sinai Health System. Dr. Lye's research focus is to better understand both the genetic and environmental factors that shape the health of infants and children, from the time of conception. He has published studies on such topics as the impact of breastfeeding, pre-term birth and placental health. He is also co-lead of the Ontario Family Health Study, which is collecting data from over a thousand pregnant women and, through TARGet Kids, following the health of their children. Dr. Lye holds the Mount Sinai Hospital Auxiliary Chair in Women's and Infants' Health Research. Sinai Health System has the largest neonatal research program in Canada -- based on activity, volume of research and funding.

"The goal of this research is to translate our findings into public health and education policy, as well as paediatric clinical practice. By supporting this research, Scotiabank is contributing to better outcomes for our children's future," said Dr. Lye.

The gift will be matched by the Tanenbaum Research Matching Endowment Fund, which was created by Larry and Judy Tanenbaum and their family. The fund provides 1:1 match funding for gifts of $1 million from other donors, providing donors with the opportunity to double their impact in supporting world-leading science.

"We are honoured to partner with Dr. Lye in supporting his important work to improve the lives of infants and children, as well as their families," says Brian Porter, President and CEO of Scotiabank. "Health is fundamental to our young people reaching their full potential -- there are few other investments as important to the long-term security, stability and strength of our communities and our country."

"We have had a long partnership with Scotiabank for over 60 years and they have been strong advocates in supporting discovery science at the LTRI," says Joseph Mapa, CEO of Sinai Health Foundation. "A gift of this nature provides critical funding that helps us prevent, diagnose and treat the conditions and diseases that affect Canadians. We thank them for their generous support."

About Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute

The Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, part of Sinai Health System, is a leading biomedical research centre, ranking amongst the top biomedical research institutes in the world. Established in 1985, the institute is profoundly advancing understanding of human biology in health and disease. Many of the breakthroughs that began as fundamental research have resulted in new and better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat prevalent conditions. The institute is affiliated with the University of Toronto and is focused on women's and infants' health, cancer biology, stem cell biology, neurobiology, diabetes, arthritis, health systems research, population health services and solutions, and systems biology. www.lunenfeld.ca.

About Scotiabank

Through our global community investment strategy, Scotiabank and its employees support causes at a grassroots level. Recognized as a leader for our charitable donations and philanthropic activities, in 2015, Scotiabank contributed $67 million to help our communities around the world.

Scotiabank is Canada's international bank and a leading financial services provider in North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and Central America, and Asia-Pacific. We are dedicated to helping our 23 million customers become better off through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of more than 88,000 employees and assets of $907 billion (as at July 31, 2016), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (TSX: BNS) and New York Exchanges (NYSE: BNS). Scotiabank distributes the Bank's media releases using Marketwired. For more information, please visit www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankViews.